PELLAGRA

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pellagra mean? 

• PELLAGRA (noun)
  The noun PELLAGRA has 1 sense:

1. a disease caused by deficiency of niacin or tryptophan (or by a defect in the metabolic conversion of tryptophan to niacin); characterized by gastrointestinal disturbances and erythema and nervous or mental disorders; may be caused by malnutrition or alcoholism or other nutritional impairments

  Familiarity information: PELLAGRA used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PELLAGRA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A disease caused by deficiency of niacin or tryptophan (or by a defect in the metabolic conversion of tryptophan to niacin); characterized by gastrointestinal disturbances and erythema and nervous or mental disorders; may be caused by malnutrition or alcoholism or other nutritional impairments

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

Alpine scurvy; maidism; mal de la rosa; mal rosso; mayidism; pellagra; Saint Ignatius' itch

Hypernyms ("pellagra" is a kind of...):

avitaminosis; hypovitaminosis (any of several diseases caused by deficiency of one or more vitamins)

 Context examples 

Not enough nicotinic acid can cause a disease called pellagra (a condition marked by skin, nerve, and digestive disorders).

(Nicotinic acid, NCI Dictionary)

Not enough niacin can cause a disease called pellagra (a condition marked by skin, nerve, and digestive disorders).

(Niacin, NCI Dictionary)

Signs and symptoms include skin eruptions reminiscent of pellagra, aminoaciduria, and cerebellar ataxia.

(Hartnup Disease, NCI Thesaurus)